What is the primary purpose of an evaporator in a refrigeration system?

The primary purpose of an evaporator in a refrigeration system is to absorb heat and change the state of the refrigerant from liquid to vapor. In the refrigeration cycle, the evaporator is where the refrigeration process primarily takes place. As the refrigerant enters the evaporator as a low-pressure liquid, it absorbs heat from the surrounding environment (such as the inside of a refrigerator or the air in an air conditioning system). This heat absorption causes the refrigerant to vaporize, transitioning from a liquid state to a gaseous state.

This process is crucial because it allows the refrigerant to absorb heat and effectively remove warmth from the area being cooled, thus creating a cooling effect. The refrigeration cycle relies on this heat absorption—without it, there would be no means to lower temperatures in the conditioned space.